“To The Fatty Running On The Track This Afternoon”…And To All Overweight People Who Exercise

A fitness enthusiast wrote this controversial message to an overweight runner at her local track. After posting it on Facebook, it has gone viral and deserves everyone’s attention.

It begins:

“To the fatty running on the Westview track this afternoon: You, whose feet barely lift off the ground as you trudge around the track. You, who keeps the outside lane, footslogging in the wrong direction. You, who stops for water breaks every lap, and who would probably stop twice a lap if there were bleachers on both sides. You whose gaze drops to your feet everytime we pass. You, whose sweat drenches your body after you leave, completing only a single, 20-minute mile…

…There’s something you should know: YOU FUCKING ROCK.”

Every shallow step you take, you carry the weight of more than two of me, clinging to your bones, begging to be shaken off. Each lap you run, you’re paying off the debt of another midnight snack, another dessert, another beer. It’s 20 degrees outside, but you haven’t let that stop your regimen. This isn’t your first day out here, and it certainly won’t be your last. You’ve started a journey that lasts a lifetime, and you’ve started it at least 12 days before your New Year’s resolution kicks in. You run without music, and I can only imagine the mantras running through your mind as you heave your ever-shrinking mass around the next lap. Let’s go, feet. Shut up, legs. F**k off, fat. If you’d only look up from your feet the next time we pass, you’d see my gaze has no condescension in it. I have nothing but respect for you. You’ve got this.”

The original post can be seen below:

Although he began with an insulting tone and made a number of questionable judgments on the runner, his message is clear.

Starting a fitness program is an extremely difficult decision, but it’s one that holds so much promise. Once you start, you’re that much closer to your goal. People who work out also experience better sleep, sex, and moods. Many “fit” people at the track or at the gym may have fought the same battle you’re fighting right now. Not every “fit” person you see is naturally slender…One day, you might be the one running laps around the person who is just starting their exercise journey.